Tennis umpires do more than make line calls, and a variety of rules govern their conduct during matches. Depending on the tournament in which you're playing, an umpire may call foot faults, issue penalties for behavior, settle disputes and issue warnings and penalties for time violations. Some umpires may do so without being asked by players, while some situations require players to request an umpire's involvement.
Officials
Tennis umpires are certified by their national governing body, most of which work with the International Tennis Federation. Most federations start with the ITF rules as their basic framework for certifying umpires, with variations made from country to country. During professional tournaments, officials act as umpires or a referee. The referee handles all aspects of officiating a tournament and oversees the umpires. During a match, different types of umpires, such as chair umpire, line umpire or net umpire, call the match. During recreational tournaments, you may see one referee on site, or several additional roaming umpires who go from court to court in the event they are needed to settle disputes.
Conduct
Line umpires may not talk to players during matches. If a player has a problem with a line umpire's call, the umpire must direct the player to take the dispute to the chair umpire. Line umpires may not assist players during a match, such as retrieving balls or handing the player towels. During recreational tournaments, an umpire may be called to the court to oversee the match. In some cases the umpire may only rule on a call if asked by a player. If the umpire calls foot faults, she must call them on both players. An umpire may not speak with spectators or applaud players. An umpire should not oversee a match if she has a relationship with one or more of the players, and must report any potential conflicts to the tournament prior to the start of the tournament. Umpires may not criticize other officials, bet on matches, drink alcohol during tournament hours
Facility Inspection
As part of his duties, an umpire should make sure the court area meets all applicable rules. For example, the umpire should check the net height, see that there are singles sticks, if necessary, and ensure the court surface, fences and other aspects of the court are safe for play. An umpire may determine the match can't be played or must be suspended because of rain or temperature.
Penalties
Umpires must make subjective judgments regarding behavior and eligibility of players. The umpire may request identification if she believes a player is playing out of his age range or under an assumed name. An umpire can issue warnings, point penalties, game penalties or a match default for unsportsmanlike behavior. While an umpire can warn a player who misbehaves, the umpire can go directly to a point penalty or match default if the umpire believes the violation was severe enough, such as a physical threat or racial slur.
Member Comments